Mountain-Plains Chapter

Constitution & Bylaws (amended May 2012)

(Printable copy)

The name of this organization shall be the Mountain-Plains Chapter of the Music Library Association, herein referred to as the Chapter. The Chapter shall be responsible to, and is a representative agency of, the Music Library Association. The Music Library Association shall herein be referred to as the Association.

ARTICLE II: Purpose

The purpose of the Chapter shall be to encourage communication and cooperation among libraries and individuals who are interested in music and libraries.

ARTICLE III: Membership

Membership in the Chapter shall be open to persons and institutions interested in furthering the purposes of the Chapter. For the Association, the Chapter shall represent the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, but shall not be limited to those states. Chapter membership shall not require Association membership. Applications for membership shall be addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer.

ARTICLE IV: Organization

The Chapter Board shall consist of a Chairperson, a Chairperson-Elect, a Past-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, a Member-At-Large, and a Newsletter Editor.

Officers of the Chapter, their functions, terms of office, and the manner of their election or appointment shall be as follows.

1. Chairperson. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and the Board. He/she shall be responsible for carrying out the purposes and activities of the Chapter as stated in the Constitution and By-Laws. The Chairperson or the Chairperson's designee shall represent the Chapter at all Association meetings. The Chairperson shall serve a two-year term.

2. Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect. The Vice Chairperson/ Chairperson-Elect shall automatically succeed to the office of Chairperson at the end of the two-year term. He/she shall discharge the functions of the Chairperson in case of the latter's disability or absence, or at the latter's request. In the event that the Chairperson cannot fulfill the length of his/her term, the Vice Chairperson/ Chairperson-Elect shall serve in his/her place for the remainder of the Chairperson's term and shall continue to serve in the office of Chairperson for the normal two-year term. He/she shall serve a two-year term, and shall be a voting member of the Board. He/she shall be the Chair of the Membership Committee and have responsibility for membership development.

3. Past-Chair. The Past-Chair shall assist and advise wherever necessary in order to further the purposes and activities of the Chapter. The Past-Chair shall be a voting member of the Board and shall serve a two-year term.

4. Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain membership records, collect membership dues, receive all monies, and deposit them in the name of the Chapter. He/she shall pay all bills and prepare a report to the Chapter. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also prepare minutes of the Chapter Meeting and serve as a voting member of the Board. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a four-year term.

5. Member-At-Large. The Member-At-Large shall assist and advise wherever necessary in order to further the purposes of the Chapter. The Member-At-Large shall be a voting member of the Board and serve a two-year term. In the event that the Vice Chairperson/Chairperson- Elect must vacate his/her office, the Member-At-Large shall perform the duties of the Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect until the next Annual Meeting of the Chapter when and Election or a Special Election shall be conducted.

6. Newsletter Editor. The Newsletter Editor shall be appointed by the Board, and shall solicit, edit and publish appropriate announcements or articles in the Chapter Newsletter. The Newsletter Editor shall be a voting member of the Board.

7. Program Chairperson. The Program Chairperson shall be appointed by the Board, and shall be responsible for arranging, in cooperation with the officers heretofore designated, the next Annual Meeting from the date of his/her appointment.

8. Elections. All officers except the Program Chairperson shall be required to be members of the Association. The officers shall be elected by a mail ballot not less than thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting. Election shall be by individual ballot and a simple majority of ballots cast shall be requisite for election. Vacancies, other than that of Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect, arising between Annual Meetings shall be filled by the Board. In the event that the office of the Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect is vacated before the expiration of his/her term and before the Annual Meeting during which Elections would normally be held, a Special Election shall be conducted to elect a Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect who will serve in that office until the next Election and then succeed normally to the office of Chairperson.

9. The officers of Secretary/Treasurer and Member-At-Large may succeed themselves, if they choose to run for re-election.

ARTICLE V: Membership Dues, Voting, and Annual Meetings

1. Annual Dues in an amount to be established by the Board shall be paid by each member on or before July one. Student membership shall be one-half the amount required of regular members.

2. Voting members of the Chapter shall be all members who have paid dues in full. For the purposes of voting at Annual Meetings, a quorum shall consist of those voting members present. All votes, mail or otherwise, shall be decided by a simple majority. A majority vote of the Board shall break a tie.

3. Meetings. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Chapter at a time and place fixed by the Board. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or the Board, and shall be called upon the request of at least ten percent of the members of the Chapter. Announcements of all meetings shall be at least thirty days in advance.

ARTICLE VI: Standing Committees

1. The Standing Committee of the Chapter shall be the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee shall consist of at least three persons serving two-year terms, chaired and appointed by the Vice Chairperson/Chairperson-Elect. The Committee shall be responsible for membership development and nominations.

2. Other committees may be established by the majority of the voting members, as need arises.

ARTICLE VII: Newsletter

An informational Chapter newsletter shall be published on a regular basis. The Newsletter Editor, in cooperation with the Chapter membership, shall be responsible for soliciting appropriate material and publishing the newsletter.

ARTICLE VIII: Amendments

The Constitution and By-Laws shall be adopted by voting members at an Annual Meeting, and may be amended at any Annual or Special Meeting by a two-thirds majority. Proposed amendments shall be announced at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.

ARTICLE IX: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt